"Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" Gal. 4:16

Religious Freedoms Under Attack

Issue Date: May/June 1999

Freedom to win children to Christ, to preach and distribute gospel tracts in
public, and a redefinition of "hate speech" will be some of the issues facing soul
winners in the next century, according to the February, 1999, Christian Law
Association newsletter.

"As America moves into the next century, the battle for continued religious
liberty for Bible-believing Christians is at a watershed moment," writes Attorney
David C. Gibbs, Jr.

With the proliferation of religions in the U.S., the chances are increasing that
a Muslim or Hindu parent will be very upset when their child is won to Christ in
a Sunday school or Vacation Bible School.

Or the parents may just be against all religions, and threaten to sue the
church. Pastors have even been told by parents, "I would rather have my kid on
drugs than for him to be a Christian fanatic!"

Pressure is also building to pass more restrictive "hate" laws. With recent
widely publicized cases of violence against blacks and homosexuals, there is an
increasing clamor to make "hate speech" illegal. If this happens, it is only
a small step to arresting bold pastors for speaking biblical truth against sin.

"Once a pastor speaks from a Bible-based position which he is not willing to
negotiate or compromise, in today's climate he is often considered a 'dangerous
extremist,'" writes Gibbs. There is a legitimate risk that the definition
of 'hate speech' could be expanded to include Bible preaching on
abortion, homosexuality, or any other politically sensitive issue which
may arise."

Soul winners who preach or pass gospel tracts in parks and public streets are
being increasingly harassed. Gibbs gets calls from preachers whose sound
equipment has been confiscated and church groups who have been arrested for
being "too noisy" as they distributed tracts in front of casinos and bars and
at the entrances to fairs.

Other occasions where CLA is often asked for help include children forbidden to
give gospel tracts to fellow students, workers forbidden to read their Bibles at
break time, and attempts to tax churches.

In some cases, churches, who try to help alcoholics and drug addicts, find
themselves in conflict with the government's attempt to control social services.
They could conceivably be charged with practicing medicine without a license since
alcoholism and drug addiction are deemed to be medical diseases.

Gibbs foresees an increase in these and other issues such as same-sex
marriages, and child custody judges ordering parents not to share Christ with
their children.

What can the Bible believer do to forestall these restrictions? The
battleground is the attitudes of our local communities. Government can restrict
freedoms only if the governed allow it.

We must speak out on these issues, making sure that everyone understands God's
point of view. One effective way is to salt your community with gospel tracts.
Spreading biblical truth will tend to inoculate your neighborhood against the
propaganda of the those with an evil agenda.

If we roll over and play dead, the homosexuals, humanists, and false religions
will spread their anti-biblical philosophies and behaviors. In time it will
be too late to do anything about it.

To obtain copies of the CLA newsletter or get help in a situation involving
religious freedom, write to Christian Law Association, P.O. Box 4010, Seminole
FL 33775-4010. Their phone number is (727) 399-8300.